By By Tariq Butt
For example, an MP who participated in the session told The News that PML-Q leader Faisal Saleh Hayat raised the issue of detention of Aafia Siddiqui in the US and demanded her release.
He argued that such a measure would help restore confidence among Pakistanis about the US and people here would appreciate Washington for such a good gesture. However, the insider said, Clinton made no commitment for Aafia’s release and confined her remarks to saying she would take the suggestion to the Obama administration.
She also made a similar declaration on the plea of a participant that the US should waive Pakistan’s debts. She described the proposal as reasonable but in an apparently lighter vein said such a waiver would also entail conditions — a thinly veiled reference to conditions contained in the Kerry-Lugar Act (KLA).
After remarks by Clinton, Senate Chairman Naek and National Assembly Speaker Fehmida Mirza, Wasim Sajjad was the first to state his points. He said many in Pakistan were not even aware of places like Muridke, which figured in the KLA as a suspected terrorist location requiring dismantling. How come, the US knew about the place, he asked, saying it was the Indian lobby in US which got this place included in the US legislation.
No, it is not correct, Hillary Clinton replied, as Washington has noted the location in the law after getting the information about it from its own sources, and it was not the Indian lobby that got it incorporated in the KLA. The participating MPs stressed the need for enhanced interaction between the members of the Pakistani parliament and US Congress. Clinton agreed to it and said this would not only promote understanding and cooperation but would also help get rid of the misperceptions.
Dr Farooq Sattar of MQM during his long speech suggested that while stopping over in London, Hillary should meet Altaf Hussain. This evoked laughter in the meeting. BNP Senator Dr Abdul Malik’s support for the drone attacks dismayed the participants as his was the lone voice to vent such a view while all others, who touched this issue, strongly rejected the drone strikes, saying that these were not only killing civilians but causing anger among Pakistanis.
The participants were impressed with Clinton’s remarks about Pakistan’s strategic location. She came to know that in future Washington would have to be more careful while talking about Pakistan in view of the strong reaction from this country, he concluded.